Category Archives: Politics

Twelve years have passed and I still remember that day like it was yesterday…

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May we know only times of joy from here on and always!

Remember Remeber that Fateful September

Do you remember? Do you remember?
that fateful September?
September 11 2001…
A shake, a shock, the world just stopped.

We looked to the sky
how could so many innocent’s die?
we did not sleep, we could not eat,
We only did cry…
So many bright souls, their lives forever on hold
We could not think of tomorrow –
So full of sorrow
we could not be consoled.

But then we saw
with a glimmering light
such true bravery was a great sight
Strength beyond measure,
love beyond leisure
Big and small
there were great Heroes galore
doing all they could to help those in mortal peril.
Restored faith in humanity brought back our sanity

We prayed for peace, we cried for hope
we clung to life, full of a deep strife
Alas we will prevail for we are strong and full of gale
we do not bow to evil!
we will not bow to evil…
For it is said “woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness…”

we will remember…
we will never forget…
the countless lives stolen…
the many tears fallen.

Yes we do remember
Yes we will always remember
that tragic day
in that fateful September.

In the wake of the Wits protest that took place on 28th August 2013 against the Daniel Zamir concert, many people across the world, Jews and non-Jews alike, were shocked when a number of BDS protestors and its’ affiliates sang “Dhubule iJuda” – in English, “Shoot the Jew.”

The song which is based on the Apartheid struggle song, “Shoot the Boer” was deemed as hate speech by Judge Collin Lamont in the Southern Gauteng High Court in September 2011. Judge Lamont made it clear that this song is racist, unethical and goes against “a number of local and international laws” that protect human dignity.

However, despite the blatant Anti-Semitism shown by these protestors, BDS South Africa’s Commander-in-Chief Muhammad Desai defended the song by stating that “the whole idea anti-Semitism is blown out of proportion.” Desai claimed that they did not literally mean “Jews” when the song was sung. Furthermore he stated that “just like you would say kill the Boer at [a] funeral during the eighties [and] it wasn’t about killing white people, it was used as a way of identifying with the apartheid regime.”

It was only after Desai’s defence of this Anti-Semitic song almost two days later that top BDS members began to distance themselves from this song; until then, not a word of condemnation was said by any BDS member or leader. Furthermore it took the BDS-SA movement five days to release a statement condemning this racist act. The lack of immediate condemnation and distancing makes it very clear that a large portion of BDS-SA is in-fact focused on, as SAJBD National Chair Mary Kluk said, inciting “hatred, and possibly even violence, against Jewish South Africans.”

The fact of the matter is; this incident has proven that in today’s day and age members of BDS and the like do not differentiate between Judaism and Zionism and moreover they are not taught to do so. In fact they are encouraged to see it all as one in the same – in both the members and their leader’s eyes. If members of BDS defend racial slurs like “Shoot the Jew”, then how much more so can we accept these slurs to start being accepted in society. It is clear that Anti-Semitism is blatantly back and it is rearing its’ ugly head through organizations that claim to be focused solely on Human Rights.

On a more positive note; reports that members of BDS who were planted in the Wits Great Hall to disrupt the concert were seen clapping, dancing and enjoying the concert together with the other 1100 patrons. The Daniel Zamir Concert can be described as a wonderful and inspiring event by all who attended. Daniel Zamir and his Jazz Quartet are known Peace Activists who, throughout the concert, continuously chanted “Peace, Love and Unity.” During the concert Zamir also called for “love of all humanity.”